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Helping Moms Reenter the Workforce

9/2/2016

4 Comments

 
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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

​Even with a good education and experience, finding the right job can be difficult.  Add-in a few years out of the job market, and securing employment becomes really challenging.  Unfortunately, that’s the situation faced by many of the best potential employees, mothers, but one innovative organization aims to alter that trend.
 
After several decades that saw the percentage of stay-at-home moms decline, the trend bottomed out at 23% of all mothers in 1999, and by 2012 the number had risen to 29%.  Likewise, it’s reported that 43% of highly qualified mothers (ones with greater than average education and experience) are taking significant leaves from their careers in order to be with their children. 
 
While such planned workforce absences tend to be very positive for these women’s families, the hiatuses often play havoc with a woman’s career.  For many prospective employers, a gap in employment is a red flag, as they reason that competent and productive people will continually be employed.  So, when managers review resumes with gaps of a few years, questions start to cross their minds like:
  • Didn’t they want to work?
  • Did no one else want to hire them?
  • Have their job skills deteriorated?
  • Are they capable of using new technology?

​These are challenging perceptions for any prospective employee to overcome, and the longer a mother stays out of the workforce, the harder it becomes for her to get back in.  Fortunately, one innovative agency has recognized the folly of forgoing the contributions of so many qualified workers and resolved to help these and other women regain employment outside the home.
 
Gwen Wunderlich and Dara Kaplan, founders of Wunderlich Kaplan Communications (WKC), a public relations firm based in New York City, had repeatedly witnessed the workforce reentry challenge, so they decided to do something about it.  They created the “Enternship,” a six-week paid internship for women over forty, who want to re-enter the workforce.  The program, which is open to all women 40+, not just mothers, teaches them things like how to: use digital technology, leverage social media, write press releases, create PR campaigns, pitch media, blog, and network.
 
Besides the Enternship, WKC also offers a variety of seminars and courses with similar aims, for instance: Everyday PR for your Personal Brand, LA Weekend Intensive, Girlfluence, and SEO to CEO.  The costs of these programs range from $595 to $1,450, depending on their duration and location.  The Enternship and other offerings have generated considerable buzz, grabbing news coverage in media such as the New York Post, Forbes, and the Huffington Post.
 
Some may wonder, however, if it’s right for a program to be so exclusive?  By targeting just women, WKC turns its back on half the population, i.e., men, and by only embracing women over forty, WKC excludes the nation’s largest age cohort:  75 million+ millennials.  Don’t these people deserve the same support?  Isn’t it unwise for WKC to ignore them?
 
First, most millennials, who range in age from 18 to 34, have not experienced significant employment interruptions from which they are looking to reenter the workforce.  Similarly, while there are men who sit out of the job market for some time, relatively few of them miss years of work because of child-rearing responsibilities; although, those numbers have increased.  In short, WKC has identified the market segment most likely to want and need its services.
 
Furthermore, a fundamental principle of market segmentation and targeting is that no organization can be all things to all people.  It goes without saying, but different groups of consumers have different desires.  If a company tries to craft a marketing mix that appeals to everyone, it usually ends-up satisfying no one.  Furthermore, very few organizations have the resources to try to do so.  Consequently, it’s in everyone’s best interest, companies’ and consumers’, for firms to focus on their main target market(s) and allow other organizations to satisfy other shoppers.
 
Helping women over forty, especially mothers, reenter the workforce is a noble undertaking that stands to benefit not just the recipients of the support, but also the organizations that hire them and our society as a whole.  WKC seems to be effectively and efficiently meeting this specific segment’s need, which makes the Enternship and its related programs “Mindful Marketing.”
​
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4 Comments
Grace Riedel
9/20/2016 03:56:20 pm

Wunderlich Kaplan Communications saw a need/ opportunity that has been around for years and took it. I previously had not heard of this organization. I know my mom and some of my friends moms who were in this situation, trying to find jobs in today’s technology driven world but couldn’t. They had to resort to taking computer, media, and network related classes at community colleges to be hired. This involves paying tuition fees and time spent not making money. There were several ways WKC is a better option. First off instead of paying thousands of dollars in tuition these women get paid. Secondly, Instead of a whole semester it’s only a 6 week program. Lastly, WKC is geared specifically toward older women, which would help them learn. I like that it is only for 40+ year old women, there isn’t a large enough need for the program to be for everyone. This also helps them to gear the program specifically for the technology knowledge that the typical 40+ year old women would have. If they opened it to millennials they would generally know more than these women on tech related things, causing the women to be lost in the program. Additionally, it isn’t as hard for millennials to get jobs as it is women who haven’t been working in years. I really like where you added that when a company tries to appeal to everyone they usually don’t appeal to anyone. Overall I agreed with your thoughts on WKC and believe there was a need that is getting met now

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Mackenzie Murray
9/21/2016 07:04:10 pm

As the daughter of a woman who was a stay-at-home mother for 21 years, I appreciate what Wunderlich Kaplan Communications is trying to do by reintegrating women over 40 into the workplace. Unfortunately businesses do tend to look at a leave of work absence as a negative rather than recognizing the positivity of mothers staying at home. I watched as my mother struggled to find a job that suited her skill set after being away from the workforce for so long. The work that WKC is doing, though it has a very direct target, is much needed for these women. Instead of having to pay thousands of dollars to go back to school, they can pay a single price in order to redevelop the skills that employers are looking for. Also, it provides a way for women to feel useful again after raising kids and sending them out as adults. Opening up the program to women over 40 in general, not just mothers, is another commendable integration into what WKC is doing, because it is a means for them to learn new skills that are beneficial is several areas of their lives, not necessarily just in the workforce. I believe that WKC is not only helping women rebuild their resumes, but also their confidence in who they are and their abilities. Overall, I agree that WKC is a mindful marketer for woman who need their help.

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Bailey Groff
9/21/2016 11:21:30 pm

I can relate to topic because my mom was a stay-at-home mom for 16 years. Two years ago, my mom started getting a resume together and looking at potential job opportunities. My mom received her Bachelors degree from Gettysburg College and had work experience prior to having children, but looking for a job was a challenge. I was interested in this article because I could relate to it and I think it is great what Wunderlich Kaplan Communications is doing for women. I think learning new skills years after getting an education can help a lot. Companies are always looking for candidates who have advanced technology and communication skills. I agree that when organizations try to reach everyone they usually don't get as many clients compared to when they reach for a specific audience. It is a unique organization that will help not just the women, but the companies who hire them and the people they work with.

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Mr SEO link
3/3/2020 02:28:02 am

Thanks for updating and making the effective methods and techniques about search engine methods and great objectives as well. This blog has been sharing about interesting digital marketing info.

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